Sales Check

July 2009

Giving green a new name
Born and raised in Yugoslavia, Lillian Ostojich says she has spent most of her life developing ways to encourage healthy ways of living. A doctor who has dabbled in business, Ostojich created Zoetica (1250 N. LaSalle Dr.; 866-963-8422, zoetica.net), an organic health and wellness facility certified by the USDA—perhaps the nation’s first. “We really did everything possible to make it as pure as possible,” says Ostojich, who spent nearly four years planning…

New Spot for a Green Shop
Chicago’s only nonprofit, eco-friendly, fair trade store, the Greenheart Shop (312-264-1625, greenheartshop.org) has taken over the former Porte Rouge (porterouge.biz) building at 1911 West Division Street. Opening earlier this month, the bigger space now provides a wider selection of sustainable clothing, jewelry, body products, home décor, and accessories, such as…

More Posh
Susan Carlson planned for her first business venture, Posh Essentials (658 Central Ave., Highland Park; 847-945-7674, shoppingposh.com), to be a lingerie store. But shortly after opening in mid-April, Carlson, a principal of the company, quickly saw that customers wanted more. “We found that people loved to come in and buy gifts for each other, so we…

Renewed
Despite the recession, Vipul (Victor) Aggarwal has continued to expand his small, family-run business. The 29-year-old entrepreneur recently opened Renew Spa (980 N. Michigan Ave., 2nd floor; 312-526-3891, renewspachicago.com), his third start-up business in three years. Believing that spas were either overpriced or dingy, Aggarwal sought to…